Safety mechanism for bolt-action rifles



' June l2,4 1928.

A. P. CURTIS SAFETY MECHANISM FOR BOLT AcTI'oN RIFLES Filed April 22' 1927 WN q q q a q a a q 2 l l. s@ w ,M my Q. NNN NNNN V\\\ N1 \m n. mm. m QN Q am "A Patented `une.12, 1928i.

UNITED f star s Lames- ARMS & CYCLE WORKS, OF FITCHBURG,

sacHUsETTs.

MASSACHUSETTS, A CoRroRATIon or MAS- SAFETY nncHANisM Fon BOLT-ACTION Rinus.

kApplicationfiiea April 22, 1927. seriai No. 185,846.

l My invention relates to a safety .mechanism for bolt act-ion rifles and has for its object to provide a mechanism that Willhbe automatically set; by the closing ofthe rifle boltlafter loading to prevent the rifle from being.dischargedA until the user has manu? allyf'operated the safety f deyic'e from' its safety position to a firing position.

w `Inbolt action riflesfasheretofore con-` structedit has usuallyybeenrnecessary to manually cocksuch ries When the boltA is closedA after reloading, for'vshould such rifles be: automatically'cocked by the mei'e action of closing the bolt, there would be very serious danger of 'accidental discharge due to the hammer revolving on a stationary Sear, premature operation'of the trigger mechanism, or'rele'ase of the hammer by ahand -blow orshock. 1 y

According to the present invention I provide `a bol-t actionrifle in Which the actof closing the boltl actually leaves the hammer .to its cocked positiomwhile, at the same time my safety device prevents the .cocked hammer from being released byl operation of the trigger and its `associated Sear. In other words, my improved safety mechanism avutomaticallyv disconnects the hammer from the trigger mechanism so'that iit is impossible to discharge .the rifleby pulling Vthe trigger until after theuser has manually operated the safety device and thereby rendered the hammer capableV of being operated by release of they trigger operated sear. With myvimproved mechanism in its safe posi` tion, a blow or hardknock on the fire arm has no eHect and `'cannot cause premature discharge -of the cartridge, all as VWill hereinafter more fully appear, reference being had Vto .the .accompanying drawings in which .i Fig. 1 isa view fin side elevation of. a portion of a bolt action ritleembodying my invention. f y 4 Fig. 2 isa longitudinal sectional view showingV they position ofthe parts following the discharge of the riie. ,Y

Fig. 3 is a'vievv Isimilar to Fig. 2 show- -y `ing the position ofthe parts following the loading of therie andthe closing of the bolt, my mechanismthen being on safety.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 3, showing thev position of the parts after the' safety device has been operated' to releasetlie hammerto the firing position.

Like reference ycharacters refer to lik p parts in the different-figures. y

Referring to Fig. 1,1the rifle generally comprises a barrel r1 mounted on a suitable stoel; 2, the end of the barrel 1 carrying a bolt sleeve 3, Within Which operates a slidable bolt 4. The boltv 4 is providedv With a. Y

suitable handle 5 Which when in a` horizontal position coacts'vvith the sleeve 3 to lock the bolt 4, Whereas When 4the handle 5 is turned upwardly, as shown in dotted lines, the bolt 4 may be moved rearwardly to open Ithe chamber and eject the discharged cartridge shell 6 in the usual manner-f 'i The bolt- 4 is provided with a central longitudinal opening 7 Within which is'sli'd- 'ably'fmount'ed a firing plunger 8, the`eiid of the plunger. 8 providing a firing pin 9 adapted to be'projected through a lhole 10 in t-he end of the bolt4 to engage the rim of thev shell 6, as 'shown in F ig. 2. The other endof theopening 7v inthe bolt- 4 is partially closed by a bushing 11-5Which closely engages the plunger, anda spring 12 is confined between the bushing 11 and ya shoulder 13 on the firing plunger 8. 'A 'set screw 14 extends throughthe bushing 11to engage a slot 15 provided inthe plunger 8 and thus maintain the'firing pin- 9`in alinement With the holelO.

The plunger ,8 extends beyondfthe bolt 4 and is connected at its outer end to a hammer 16 by means of a pin 17. y*The hammer 16Yis valso slidable in they bolt sleeve 3 and isprovided with a slot 18 at its outer end, within which is pivotally 4mounted a safety lever 19, the Walls of the slot 18providing a bearing forthe pivot pin 2O of the lever 19; The

hammer 16y also'aprovides acentral opening 21m which is confined a vhollow plunger 22 which' is urged inthe direction'of the safety lever 19 by means -of asmallfspring When the bolt 4 is unlocked by its handle 5 and Withdrawn from the position shown in Fig 2, it carries with it'the firing plunger 8 and the hammer 16, andas the outward movement of the hammer'l'cause's the end c portion 24 of the safetylever 19 to clearthe end of the sleeve 3, the spring 23,- acting through plunger 22 turns the lever 19 about its pivotQO into the position shown in Fig. '3. Therefore, When the bolt 4 is closed by,

bolt 4 is arrested by. the engagement of the lever portion 24 with the end of the sleeve 3.

T hisV also arrests the movement ofthe Yfiring plungerA 8,so-that when the boltis completely'. closed, the spring 12 is considerably.

compressed between the bushing 11 and the shoulder 13 on the firing plunger, and the iiring pin 9 itself is maintained Withdrawn from the opening 10.

As shown injF ig. 3,fthe arrestation of the closed, prevents the inner endof'the hammer 16 from engaging the sear 25 that is connected to the trigger 26 in the usual manner,

so that pulling of the trigger 26 willdepress the sear 25. So long as the hammer 16 is heldin this position it 1s obvious that pulling the trigger 26rtov depress the sear 25 will have absolutely no result in so far as releasing the hammer 16; and consequently, there is no wayinivhich the rifle can be discharged so long as the lever 19 remains in its safe position, as shownin Fig. 3.

. When, however, it is'desired to discharge the riiie it is only necessary for theuser to depress theV lever 19"'as -v by means of the thumlnv thereby turning the lever about its pivot 2O and freeing the end portion 24from the end ofthe fsleeve 3. When this .occurs vthe compressed Vspring 1 2, actingthrough the plunger :8, drawsethe hammer 16 inwardly until the inner `end of the lhammer'16 engages. the lupwardly extending sear 25. At

thisy time, the end 24 of the safety lever 19 moves inside the end of the sleeve 3 and the v'lever 19 can be no longer turned. The position which the vparts occupy following the depression of the lever 19 is illustrated in Fig. 4,' which represents Athe fiiring position of the mechanism.

' Vith the parts inthe firing position, pull,- ing the trigger 26 will depress the sear .25, and` release the hammer 16 therefrom, whereupon the spring 12 ,acts upon the firing plunger 8 to forcibly impel the firing pin 9 through the opening 10, thereby discharging the cartridge 6asshown in Fig. 2. When the 'bolt 4 is Withdrawn to eject the discharged cartridge and is closed againafter reloadiying the rifle, the safety lever 19 `will again beturned yabout itsv pivotal axis to the posi.- tion shown in Fig. 3, and the hammer 16 will againbe Withheld from engagement with the hammer sear 25 until `released'by operation ofthe safety lever 19. i

From the foregoing then it is apparent that by lmy invention I have provided an im-y proved safety mechanism `for bolt action rifles by thewuse of whichv itis possible to prevent -the rifle. from beingA accidentally discharged. Vith my invention it is necessary forthe userto manually depress the 'safety lever 19 before it isvpossible to disof the bolt, saidsa charge the rifleby Apullin-gthe.trigger 26, although this depression of the leverr19 can be readily accomplished by the thumb as the rifle is brought to thel shoulder for. aiming. If the user'attem tsftoaimfthe rifle'befoie depressing the sa ety lever`1y9, ,itis` apparent from reconsideration of Fig. '1,"th`at`t`he end of the safety-lever19 will project into the line of sight so that the attention ofthe userV will be called to the fact that the safet lever has not been depressed and that the ri e ean` `not be fired.

movement of the lever 19 when the bolt 4 is I claim,

fire armfcomprisingfa boltactuated safety memberv movable automatically to prevent 1 discharge of the fire -armv until after. said member has been manually movedf-fromfits safe position. toits firing position 'y `2. A..safetyfmechanism fori-a' boltf action vent discharge of thefre armviuntil said safety ymember has been .manually moved Vlire arm, including in. combinationfa-Lbolt- .anda safety member automatically.: positioned by operation` ofthe bolt solas toprefromiitslocked safeposition to anunlockedk firing position. 1 y A3'. A safety mechanism. kfora bolt-action rvfire arm,.including,in combination a. bolt and a safety member movablel tov automatically assume va safe position upon-drawing back and returningfthe-bolt,` said safety 'member in` its `safe position -preventingjthe rearmffrom being discharged..l w' y 4. A safet mechanism fora bolt-action lire arm, includingy in *'.combination al `bolt i.

and a safety. member "movable to' automati cally assume a safeiposition'upon drawing back `and returning thel bolt, saidsafety member preventing. .the discharge of `therire arm until it has beenmanually,moved-from a safe position to a 'firing positionf 5. A safety mechanism for a bolt-action lire arm, including in combination a bolt'and la safety'member movable-.to automatically assume a safe positionr upon operation 'of L y -the bolt, said member in its safe-position be'- view ofthe sights of thefire'a-rm. 1

. 6...Ay safety mechanism` for av boltfaction ing so disposed as to interfere with a free fire arm, including in combinationV la bolt and asafety member movable to automatically assume` a safe f ositionlupon operation Fety member being 4dis'- posed to prevent a clear view of theisights when `in a safe position, and adapted .toV be manually moved out of line with thesights to a firing position.

. 7.v A safety mechanism for afire armhav-- ing a bolt action,.compri'sing in combination,

a bolt, a hammeroperable by the bola-anda safety memberv pivotally connected` to vsaid hammerand movable to prevent a complete return of said hammer` When-the boltfis moved to its locked'. position.

8. In a re arm, the combination with a longitudinally movable bolt having a firing llo plunger movable therewith, and a hammer connected to said firing plunger,of a safety member carried by said hammer adapted to automatically assume a safe position when said bolt is moved outwardly preparatory to loading said fire arm.

9. In a lire arm, the combination with a longitudinally movable bolt having a iring plunger movable therewith, and a. hammer connected to said firing plunger, of a safety member carried by` said hammer adapted to automatically prevent the full movement of said hammer to a i'iring position when said bolt is moved to close the chamber.

l0. In a fire arm, the combination with a rlongitudinally movable bolt having a firing plunger movable therewith, and a hammer connected to said firing plunger, of a'lock'- ing ymember adapted to be automatically moved to a safe position by the Withdrawal of the bolt, in which position said member prevents the full movement of said hammer to a ring position upon closing said bolt.

ll. In a fire arm, the combination with a longitudinally movable bolt, a hammer operable ,by said bolt, and a trigger actuated sear adapted-to be engaged by said hammer when said bolt is closed, of a safety member y carried byY said hammer adapted to automatically prevent said hammer'from engaging said sear upon initially closing said bolt.

- l2. In a re arm, thefcombination with a longitudinally movable bolt, a hammer operable by said bolt, and avtrigger actuated sear adaptedto be engaged by said hammer when said bolt is closed, of a safety member car-` ried by said hammer and adapted to prevent the engagement of said hammer with 4the trigger sear until after said safetyvmember has been manually moved to a firing position. x l

13. In a fire arm, the combination with a longitudinally movable bolt, a hammer operable by said bolt, and a trigger actuated sear adapted to be engagedy by said vhammer,

after said bolt is closed, of a safety member A carriedvby said hammer and adapted to be automatically moved toV a position in which it prevents engagement between said hammer and said sear when said bolt is withvdrawn for loading the fire arm.

ARTHUR P. CURTIS. l 

